Back to Normal Life from Nerdify: How to Avoid Stress and Exhaustion

It’s been a hell of a year for Nerdify. We’ve helped a record number of students this year and we’ve doubled in size (hooray!). But the New Year is on the horizon… Which brings us to the question of how we can celebrate it? Certainly, most of us will be celebrating it with our friends and family, but what if you want to do something special this year?
We’ve created a list of five creative ways how you can celebrate this New Year, check it out, maybe there’s something in this list that you may wanna try 😉

1. Visit real Santa

That means going to Finland. Yes, that’s not exactly a half an hour ride from your house, but bear with me, there are lots of awesome things you can do once you get there.

Finland has a fantastic national travel-website that has already collected all the main adventures Finland is famous about:

* You can go on a husky ride through the snowy forest (one of our Nerds actually did that – said it’s super cold, so make sure you bring warm clothes and some vodka with you. You gonna need it).
* You can check out beautiful auroras in the night sky (those are free of charge, thank you solar winds, yay!)
* You can go Gold panning (this is a perfect activity for kids – they get to collect their own GOLD, how cool is that?!).
* Cruise on an Icebreaker (and see real polar bears on little icebergs, oh… so cute 🙂
* And, obviously – see the real Santa Claus (that’s what New Year is all about, right?)
And much more actually. In Finland, you truly feel special during the New Year. You indeed think that miracles can happen during this special night, it’s absolutely magical.

2. Celebrate New Year following traditions from another country.

Just a few examples for you, of the crazy shenanigans people do across the world during the New Years Eve:

* In Burma people splash buckets of water on each other to “start New Year with a clean soul”. They certainly can do that in Burma, because it is quite hot during the New Year. I suspect that wouldn’t really work somewhere in Canada, now would it? 😉
* In Russia, people write their wishes on a piece of paper, then set it on fire in a glass. When only ashes remain – they pour champagne into the glass and drink it “bottoms up” before midnight. That way your wish will come true in the following year. For additional tips on how to “Party Like a Russian” we suggest you check out the Robbie Williams video-guide.
* In Italy, Argentina and Bolivia it is a common tradition to wear colorful underwear. It is believed that it will bring luck, love and prosperity to the one who’s wearing either red, pink or yellow underwear 🙂 What can we say, those folks are definitely not boring 🙂
* In South Africa and Peru, people tend to get more violent. In Johannesburg, South Africa, it is common to throw old appliances out of the window. That way locals “step into the new year leaving old things behind”. While in Peru it is common to have a fist fight with a person you have a grudge on. That way you can “wipe the slate clean” before the New Year.

Just make sure none of these local traditions get you in jail. As far as we can tell, no country has a tradition celebrating New Year’s Eve in jail 🙂

3. Be real Santa Claus.

Why not create some miracles yourself? You can be the master of the night by putting on a Santa Claus costume and grabbing a red bag full of goodies. Better still – gather a group of like-minded crazy people who will do a flash mob of Santas in the center of the city. You can build a huge snowman and give away presents and sweets to passers-by or baking a cookie that’s gonna crush the Guinness world record. Let your imagination go wild!

4. Outdoors

Being outdoors on the New Year’s Eve is also exciting. Imagine skiing in the mountains during the night.. Isn’t it magical? Alternatively, you can go full bananas and go camping in the forest. Greeting the New Year under the stars with a glass of champagne and a loved one. Romantic… but also quite chilly so make sure you have a heating pad with you or something. Getting a cold is not part of the plan here!

5. Do some charity-work

New Year is also a great time to think about those who are less fortunate than we are. What kind of a miracle would it be, if you could dress as a Santa and visit a local orphanage and give presents or sweets to the ones in need. Donate to the homeless shelter. Or visit a local animal shelter and adopt a puppy.

Remember, New Year is the time of miracles. It’s the only time when the whole world is celebrating, so why not do something special this time? 😉

Nerdify will be back with you next year to continue doing what it does best – helping students achieve their academic goals all across the world. Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to you!

With the spring semester coming to an end, while students deserve a nice break, the nearly three months of summer quickly lose their luster. After a month or so, many students start scratching their heads, wondering what to do with all that extra free time for the next two months. An excellent investment of your time would be to take a few summer courses over the summer. Read below why our Nerdify reviews experts recommend taking summer courses as a great way to get ahead of your studies.

1. They Only Last One Month!
Summer courses are condensed courses that only cover the month of, you guessed it, May. Since the summer sources typically count the same number of credits as a class in a typical semester, you’ll need to complete the same amount of class time in that short period. As an example, suppose a regular semester at your school is 15 weeks, and you take 3-credit classes, spending three hours a week in class. In that case, you’ll have to divide up those 45 hours of class time into four weeks, totaling about 11 hours a week. For that reason, our Nerdify reviews experts recommend you don’t cram too many summer classes at once. Many college-aged Reddit users on their campus subreddits say they take two courses if they want to study full-time, or just one of the Redditors is working during the summer. While it is a lot of work, say Reddit students, those four weeks of class fly by, and when you’re done, you’ll have a few credits under your belt, giving you a leg up for your next semester. Summer classes can get you ahead not only in credits but also in GPA.

2. You Can Take GPA-Boosting Classes

Often during summer, professors offer a mix of challenging and more manageable classes, so if you took a difficult class last semester that brought your GPA down, taking a more accessible class over the summer can help balance out your GPA. Since your GPA is an average of the number of credits you take regardless of their difficulty, the more easy-A courses you’d be able to take, the better. Our Nerdify reviews experts note that you shouldn’t be deceived into thinking that taking a class like drawing is effortless. Those not artistically inclined might be surprised how difficult those classes are work- and grading-wise. For those that have been wanting to take creative electives and don’t usually have time, a summer course is a great option to do so! In addition to taking classes you wouldn’t during the fall or spring, you might also be able to study in locations you might not otherwise travel to.

3. There Are Study Abroad Summer Options

Studying in another country during May is a terrific option for so many reasons. Though there are options to study abroad during the fall and spring semesters, it can be daunting to leave your home country for three or four months at a time. It could be difficult logistically—needing to find a sub-leaser for your apartment, find out what to do with any pets, etc.—but you’ll also miss out on a semester with loved ones and friends. If you studied abroad during summer, you’d only be gone for about a month, which is much easier to organize, and you’re unlikely to get homesick or tired of your host country. You’ll basically be able to take a month-long vacation while also getting some credits out of the way.

4. Get Rid of General Education Classes

Especially if you go to a liberal arts college, you’ll likely have a bunch of courses not related to your major that you’ll need to take. While those classes are enriching and worthwhile for many, they can make scheduling for the fall and spring semesters difficult. Our Nerdify reviews experts note that you can take care of that pesky history, math, or English classes in May that would otherwise weigh down your semester schedules. Even if you don’t currently have a major, the sooner you get rid of your gen ed classes, the sooner you’ll be able to find a field of study you’re passionate about, ensuring you’ll finish your degree on time. Or, maybe even earlier.

5. You Might Be Able To Graduate Early

Suppose you take even two summer classes at three credits each for three summers. In that case, that’s 18 credits right there, three hours over the typical college semester of 15. That means you’d be able to graduate college at least a semester early! This can be great for several reasons. Other than obviously saving four months of your time, you’ll also be likely saving money, depending on how your school calculates tuition costs. If you plan on continuing your education after graduation, you’ll be able to focus on admissions due in January without juggling the start of a new semester, and take even more time perfecting rolling admission applications. Or, you could use those extra months to focus studying on higher education tests, such as the GRE or LSAT. If you’re going to start working right after graduation, by entering the workforce in December, you’ll be competing against fewer applicants for each job, increasing the likelihood that employers pick your resume. Taking summer classes gives you an advantage with your GPA score, study abroad options, and completing credits early, all in about four weeks.